Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1887-03-30
,.0-4 sidney Iohnston and Camp Floyd.

Albert Sidney Johnston and Camp Floyd.
Furthermore, General Connor's military
service to Utah was active and direct as well
90 restraining and preventative. Scarcely
had he arrived with his command ere MS
coming and military service proved to be one
of the greatest blessings which mad nap
naned 10 This Territory; we refer to his
lannon's battle with the Indians at Bear River.
That service. which cost General Connors
command so much suffering from colo, anu
loss of life and wounds In the fight, substan-
stantially ended the Indian rule over 5nis
country and the constantly recurring 1nq MoI
difficulties with our people. In Caone var
lev. the old settlers speak of General Con
n0r,s service as providence to their valley.
Indeed, the battle of Bear River Is !nuS
recorded in specific words IN the ofnclai
records of the settlements OF that magnlncenC
| and flourishing vale. For instance, IN tne
records of the City of Logan it is said: we
believe General Connor's coming to Cacne
| Valley to be a providence of the Almighty.
| So. also, may it be said his coming with
| Camp Douglas was a providence TO OaiS
Lake Camp Douglas gave to the Guy !es
| annnlies-to its merchant, business; to lts
neo6Ie. money; and to hundreds OF Nor
| mons employment. In fine, Salt Lake Clty
owes much to Camp Douglas and General
Conner: and for this and his record as tne
| nioneer of the Utah mines, we give T. Eo
ward Conner place as the first GENTLE OF |
Utah. Co,,ouo1
Out of his own private means, Generai
Connor established and supported the frst
daily paper in Utah. 1t was also the hrst
secular paper in the Territory and was
called the Daily Union Vadette. LIS pur-
nose. as outlined by its editor, Captain
EharIes II. Hempstead, was ito educate the
Mormon neople to American ylews"-"to
break the absolute rules OF Brigham foung
over the p9ople''-"to convince them Dy
moral suasion, that they owed their loyalty
: to the United States and that II was uis,
, ioyal to attempt to establish theocracy IN
, Utah. The publishing of the Vadette,
caused the birth of the Daily Telegraph,
r now merged into the Salt Lake Hergtd.
3 The Teleqraph was established to hgnt
s Camp Douglas. At Camp Douglas, also, tne
Peep ODay was started. IL was M VIZ nrTi
! | magazine published west of the missouri
: river. Although this magazine was snort
q | lived, it was, however the parent OF tne
Q Utah Magazine and the Salt Lake Irao9.1ae:
i General Common also owned the nrsV
g steamer on Salt Lake, the Kate Connor,
y and also the schooner Pioneer. Soon a1ter
1 reaching Utah, Colonel Conner saw many
d indications of mineral wealth there and ne
encouraged prospecting by every avallaDle
: means. as the surest and quickest way to In
g troduce healthy outside element into MOI
i mon territory.
e cording the Jordan mine, which was the
J. first mine recorded in Utah and was entered
l. in favor of a man named Ogilvle and others.
10 Ogilvie found piece of ore while logging IN
= a canyon, and sent it for inspection to the
n Colonel, who, finding, after assay, that 1t
was partV V'" of Officers and ladies
in the camp to visit the place.
The mine was located, and day or two
t. after General Conner having written some
j. mining laws, held the first miners meeting
at Gardeners mill on the Jordan river. Inc
10 meeting adopted Connor's laws, and elected
as Bishop Gardner recorder. .
rt Colonel Conner at once published the dls-
le coveries, so that the outside world might
h. know that there were minerals on the PUBIC
m domain in Utah, and that the prospectors
I'd might flock in, with the assurance OF pro-
nd lection by his troops. He also, as his men
Ie had little to do, issued an order that a GER
ed tain number of his troops would be fur-
a Laughed, and given every opportunity 20
ty travel within certain boundaries ana push
their prospecting. To these men, acting
a. under the ColonePs direction, is due the first
MT mineral discoveries in Utah.
81 In the summer of 1864 General Conner
incorporated the Jordan Mining Company
or under the laws of California. Th open the
n | mine a tunnel was dug at the cost of $50 &
lis foot. This high price, which is six times
la, what the work could be done for now, was
10, caused by the comparative scarcity of labor
of and high price of blasting powder, which
then was worth $25 key.
1
raj Smelling Works in Utah, at Stockton, the
ed first GENTLE town of the Territory. In this
nv smelling enterprise he enlisted large mum
he Der of his California friends. Not long after
he the General built second furnace, which
ty- having an inclined fue, 15O feet long, was o.
yer the reverberatory type. Cal1torn1ans, now
es, ever who were accustomed to the methods
of milling gold in their own State, found
ed the process of smelling the Utah ores new
nd and difficult task, that received little alo
-.
re- too, was high priced and difficult to obtain
ed The very high rates of transportation were 6
to heavy tax on the enterprise, and the mate
of rails used in constructing the furnaces
;he and also those used in operating them, coulc
mt be obtained only at great cost. At length
ar. however when the right methods are dis
he covered, it was found that the ores were
mo easily treated; but it was learned, too, b,
nal dear experience, that the business wa
MS fatally handicapped by the high rates o
an freiphtage, and that the development of tn
mining industry would have to wait tn
ary coming of the railroad.
M In the summer of 1864 one of Genera
as Connors men made the discovery of silver
es- bearing lead ore, in Little Cottonwood Can
be- Won, Mountain Lake mining district, In tn
yn- WaSatch range OF mountains. buG ines
of discoveries were not developed until fou
wears later when mines of remarkable rich
ted ness were opened up there, including anon
her others, the famous Emma mine.
i'm, Though often away from California, UeI
the eral Connor considers this place his home
Jol- His first child, a son. was born at Stockton
] of in 1856 and died at Benicia Barracks befor
his march for Utah. A second boy wa
born, in 1859 but he died the same year i
Sacramento where Conner was attendin
the State Encampment, with his compan
49,, of Stockton BIues.'' A third son, MauriC
'tn, Joseph, who is now living in Montana, wa
ant born in 1861. His daughter, Catherin
to Frances, was born at Salt Lake in 186:
LII while he was in command of the Utah Dis
lor- trict She was married January IS, 1884
and B. P. Oliver, who was a nephew of d.
Our Oliver She is the mother of two daughter
qch In 1866, Patrick Edward was born at Sal
ION Lake. In 1869 Eugene Titus was born
her San Francisco; and in 1873, Hillary Gram
erS, at Redwood City, where Mrs. Conner, wit
ncn the two younger boys is living now. Non
wal of the sons have married. General Common
to also, has a sister living in San Francisco
MY who is married to William ]. Douglas, an
is the mother of five children. At the pres
emit time General Conner is the only office
!: of that rank who served from this coas
lty, during the rebellion that is now resldeI
'W l1 of the Pacific Slope.